Champions Notts have brought South Africa wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne and Australian paceman Fergus O’Neill back for the start of their title defence, while Pakistan bowler Mohammad Ali will seek to land some punches in the final six games of the campaign.
It’s been even quieter at The Kia Oval, despite Alec Stewart returning to his director of cricket role at Surrey, with no players leaving or signing, bar a fourth overseas deal for Australia all-rounder Sean Abbott until July and India leg-spinner Rahul Chahur returning late in the summer to build on his 10-wicket burst in one appearance last season.
Somerset finished third last season and will bring back South Africa’s Migael Pretorius, while seamer Josh Shaw moves down the road from Gloucestershire but Kasey Aldridge, Sean Dickson and Shoaib Bashir have moved on.
While their off-field problems have been the main source of conversation, Sussex have not been distracted on it after an encouraging fourth-placed finish in 2025.
Indian batter Jaydev Unadkat returns for the final eight rounds of the summer while middle-order batter Jack Leaning has arrived from Kent, seamer Dom Goodman and all-rounder Tom Smith have signed from Gloucestershire and Danny Briggs returns from Warwickshire in a player-coach role.
England bowler Ollie Robinson has taken over the on-field captaincy from John Simpson and is aiming to make history, despite the club starting the season with a 12-point deduction.
After an unexpected scrape with relegation last September, which saw them finish a point above the drop after a dramatic final round, plenty has changed at Hampshire.
Head coach Adrian Birrell has been replaced by Russell Domingo, who has brought in Somerset’s Shane Burger as bowling coach. Michael Neser and his replacement, fellow seamer Jayden Seales, were pulled out of their overseas player deals for the early season by Cricket Australia and Cricket West Indies respectively and though Kyle Abbott is back, Keith Barker has returned to Warwickshire.
He is joined at Edgbaston by Kent seamer Nathan Gilchrist and Yorkshire all-rounder Jordan Thompson, with Australian Beau Webster returning as overseas for the first half of the season under new skipper Ed Barnard. Chris Rushworth has hung up his boots but will coach the county’s young bowlers.
Netherlands all-rounder Logan van Beek has signed for Yorkshire until July after helping Leicestershire to promotion last season while overseas bowler Jhye Richardson joins fellow Aussie Sam Whiteman, who holds a UK passport, and will split an overseas stint with compatriot Will Sutherland, who was with the White Rose last season.
Dawid Malan has moved on to Gloucestershire on a T20 contract with keeper Jonny Tattersall leaving after more than a decade at Headingley to join Leicestershire.
Death, taxes, Simon Harmer on an overseas deal at Essex. The South African spin-king is back, and he has big-hitting compatriot Wiaan Mulder for company until June too.
Bowling all-rounder Zaman Akhter has also arrived from Gloucestershire and promising quick Mitch Killeen has joined after turning down a new deal at Durham.
Division Two champions Leicestershire have done some interesting business after losing promotion-winning captain Peter Handscomb for the entire 2026 campaign.
Australia opener Jake Weatherald has signed for the opening six matches and New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel has joined as the other overseas player, with South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj’s four-month stint cancelled.
Somerset’s Ben Green has joined permanently along with Middlesex’s Stephen Eskinazi after more than a decade at Lord’s.
Also back in the top-tier and packed with young talent, Glamorgan are looking to make a splash.
With Kiran Carlson taking over as captain after Sam Northeast’s return to Kent, Sean Dickson has arrived from Somerset, South Africa’s Colin Ingram is back and Australian quick Ryan Hadley and big-hitting compatriot Nathan McAndrew will split time as the other overseas players.
Marnus Labuschagne’s run of appearances since 2019 seems set to end as he has committed to the PCL.
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